Introduction to Disaster
by Alicia Hardy
Summary: Meet Alicia Hardy, the youngest of the Hardys. Flashback to the reason Frank, Joe and Alicia became detectives, their first encounter with Nancy Drew, and one unsolvable mystery. Will the young sleuths make or break the case? Please review!Critique wanted
1. Preface and Chapter 1

**Introduction to Disaster**

**Preface**

You don't know who I am. I'm not even going to assume that one of you have heard of me. I'm just the new girl on the block, the one person retelling the same story everyone else wishes and dreams were true. Well, yes, I am sure someone has told a similar story. After all, there is no original story. But what I'm about to tell you is the truth. Those stories, the ones about the famous brother detectives? Yeah, they are mostly true. Sure, some of the details were lost over retellings of the epic tales, and some things were exaggerated. But over all, it's the same story. Two boys run into danger, or Danger calls their name, or hunts them down to the ends of the earth, and they almost always end up on top.

There is something missing, though, in all of those stories: the reason they were in a constant battle with endless peril. The reason can be summed up with three words:

Me: Alicia Hardy.

Now you don't believe me. The Hardy Boys never had a younger sister. It's not possible. I'm here to tell you differently. In fact, I am the reason the boys wanted to be Detectives in the first place. I'm also the balance between the two: The reason Frank is not always serious and Joe is… well, I can't always account for Joe's behavior. Anyways, you can see me hiding between the lines of all the books, the one who always manages to get lost in the lines and get a gun pointed at her. (I'm also the one who tried to push Frank and Nancy together at every page turn.) I caused more trouble than solved. Believe me; those cases were a lot tougher than they sounded with me in the picture.

Oh, look at me ramble. I guess if you are still reading, you are interested in how this will turn out. Let me start then: at the beginning.

_**Chapter one: Little Sister's Middle Name**_

"Dad! Alicia just knocked over the bookshelf again! And this time she's pinned!" Little, dark haired Frank Hardy, 9 years old, ran into the study right after a loud crash sounded from the living room. Fenton Hardy stood up quickly and ran to find his little girl in tears, leg pinned under the shelf. Some heavy text books had stopped it from crushing her, but only just barely. Little Joe, blonde and 8, was holding her hand, telling her it would be alright. "Daddy's here, see?" She shook her head and her dark auburn braids tugged her head back. She cried harder.

"Don't you see? I'll get in lots of trouble! I just wanted to read another book! I didn't even climb it this time! I just reached for the book and it fell!" Seven year old Alicia cried hysterically and would not be consoled. Fenton Hardy had to smile a little at the thought of Alicia being more afraid of getting in trouble than a large bookshelf squishing her. He lifted up the book shelf and turned it onto its side, making it slightly more stable. Frank and Joe grabbed their little sister and pulled her to safety. Walking over to his kids, he pulled them into a big hug.

"Alicia, you do need to be more careful, but right now I'm worried about you. We don't want anything to happen to you. How about this: Next time you ask me when you want a book that is above where you can reach. If you can do that, I'll see if I can't get some mini stairs put in for you." Alicia nodded. Frank smiled and Joe gave a big sigh of relief.

"We thought you were a goner!" exclaimed Joe.

"You were lucky that shelf didn't fall all the way," Frank added solemnly.

Alicia smiled, "That's why my middle name is Lucky!"

Joe shoved Alicia playfully, "Hey! That's my line! And besides, your middle name is Marie." Joe stuck his tongue out and Alicia folded her arms and pouted.

Their father laughed. "I could have sworn it was Disaster, but Marie works too." He ushered the three of them to the backyard. "Now please, try and stay out of trouble. I have some work I need to finish up, and then I will join you." The three kids ran outside and started chasing each other around the big oak tree that stood in the middle of the yard. Fenton closed the screen door, grabbed the papers from his office, and sat at the kitchen table: watching, waiting for Disaster to strike again.

"I want to be like Dad when I grow up! Strong, and handsome! I will rescue the world's damsels in distress!" Joe struck a muscle man pose and fought off an imaginary bad guy.

Frank smiled, "I want to be smart like Dad and learn lots of things. Maybe solve some cases." He thought for a moment as Alicia chased a butterfly to the fence, and looked back to her brothers.

"I want to be a musician and a spy! I want to do undercover work, get leads from inside enemy lines!"

Frank laughed, "I think you mean behind enemy lines. Maybe there is some way we could do all of these things. I wonder…" He stopped to think again, when Joe threw a water balloon at Alicia.

She screamed her high squeal. "I'll get you for that, Joe Hardy! You won't get away with that, you loser!"

_The game was on: Joe being the evil mastermind, Frank solving the case of the water balloon with his trusty spy. That's how it all started, a backyard game. This is the day when it changed. We didn't know it then, but the day was about to get a lot more interesting. _

The screaming, squealing, and laughing stopped coming from the yard. Fenton looked up at the yard; He could see Frank and Joe looking at the something near the fence, but not Alicia. He leaned over to his right to get a fuller view of the yard, and there she was, barely in view, looking slightly surprised and frightened in the same direction as the boys. He moved to stand up when he heard Alicia scream, and saw Frank run towards the screen door. Joe yelled at the unseen danger, "Leave her alone! He is going! See!" He pointed at Frank, who had just reached the door, breathless, calling, "Dad! Dad" for the second time that day.

Frank threw open the door came in, and hugged his father. "There is a man outside, and he says if you don't drop the Johnson case, he'll hurt Alicia!" He paused and caught his breath. "He also said if you came outside and tried anything, he would hurt her too! But don't worry, Joe and I have a plan. I'm going to sneak around front while you go out, he wants you to hand the case file to Joe, and Joe will give it to him. But Joe is going to walk really slowly and distract him so I can kick him in the knee and make him drop Alicia!" He ran out the front door before his father could stop him. Fenton grabbed the file and ran out to find his daughter struggling in the arms of a large, beefy masked man. When she saw him, Alicia stopped struggling and said "Daddy! He's squishing me! Make him stop!" She continued to kick at her captor's stomach.

"Joe, go inside with your brother." Fenton looked at Joe, hoping he would understand that his brother was at the gate, not inside the house. Joe glanced one more time at Alicia before running inside. Fenton looked at his daughter.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Your daddy is going to save you. He has important papers that I need."

_I remember my first bad guy: more vividly than the rest. His breath was sticky, and his hands were rough and scratched my arms. His voice was deep, gravelly, and full of sinister acid. I guess that isn't something you forget easily. I also remember my dad's expression. He never looked so worried or scared in my entire life of seven years. To this day, the only time he was that frightened is when Frank, Joe, and I later joined the Network. He really didn't want any of us near the detective business, especially not me. I think this was the reason why he fought so hard against me going anywhere with the boys._

"Listen Jim, you are already in enough trouble as it is. Please, don't do this to yourself. Just let my daughter go and we can talk about this reasonably." Fenton dropped the file half way between himself and Jim, who still held his daughter in a tight grip. "There is the file. Now let the girl go."

"How do I know it's the right file?" Jim put Alicia on the ground but kept one muscled arm around her neck. Fenton saw two shadows standing on either side of the open gate, waiting to pounce on the man who held their sister.

"You'll have to trust me." Frank saw his dad give the most unperceivable nod. He looked at Joe, and whispered lets go. They stepped out from behind the gate, and charged at Jim. Joe gave his battle cry as he smashed full weight into the man's right knee. Frank threw a flying kick into the other. Jim cursed as he fell forward and loosened his grip on Alicia. Alicia took the opportunity to throw her elbow deep into his gut. He cursed again and completely lost his grip on her. Her brothers grabbed her hands and they shot off towards the sliding door that was still wide open. Fenton grabbed the file and shielded his children as they ran in.

_The police showed up shortly after my father called and told them about Jim. They caught him on the outskirts of Bayport. Aunt Trudy and mom came home from grocery shopping and saw the gate wide open, the book shelf turned over, and all of us huddled in Dad's study under the desk while he worked. I don't think we ever told them what actually happened that day. As far as she knew, "Disaster" had struck again._


	2. Chapter 2: The Girl Detectives

_**Chapter 2: The Girl Detectives**_

_The next time a serious bout of danger hit us was our first real case. I was about 10 at that time, and we all had taken up some form of martial arts and I started fencing. Our father was working on a case that was going to court, and a lawyer had flown up from Chicago that summer for the same case. My parents cleared a room for Carson Drew, who brought along his strawberry blond daughter, Nancy. She shared my room. She was the same age as Frank, but she and I became very good friends in those three months. These are the accounts of the last 2 weeks before the Drews went back to River Heights_

"Hey, Nan! Come look at this!" Alicia waved Nancy over to where she and her brothers were huddled in a circle around a strange object.

"What am I looking at?" Nancy asked curiously, searching the space between their feet.

"Nancy, my brothers and I have been creating our own 'crimes' and then trying to figure them out for years. This summer, you solved more of the cases than any one of us. So you, Ms. Drew," Alicia said confidently, pulling something from behind her back, "Are our new lead detective."

Nancy took the box and took out a large magnifying glass. "This is awesome! I love solving mysteries!"

Frank looked sheepishly at the ground, "You should look at the handle and rim. It says something on it."

Nancy looked at the handle, and engraved on it were the words, 'May many more adventures come your way and have our paths cross.' She smiled. "I love it! Thanks you guys!" She gave Frank a big hug, then pulled away quickly. They both were blushing violently.

"Hey! I'm jealous! I want a hug!" Joe said opening his arms. Nancy laughed and gave him one, too. Then she moved over to Alicia, and gave her the biggest hug of all.

"By the way, Al," She whispered, "Joe is the one who has your guitar. In case you still weren't sure. I saw him move it again today." She smiled and backed back into the circle.

"I knew it! Joe, you loser!" Alicia started chasing him around the yard. "When I get my hands on you, you'll regret the day you decided to try and trick me!"

"You know," Joe panted as he laughed and ran, "If I didn't know any better, I would think my name is "Joe you loser" instead of Joseph Hardy." Alicia grabbed the water hose and pointed it at Joe as she turned the water on. By the time they slowed down, the yard was watered and Nancy and Frank were considerably drenched too.

"Dinner is ready, and your fathers are back from work," Aunt Trudy called from the screen. She glanced disapprovingly at their dripping wet clothes. "Come in through the garage, we'll get you four cleaned up."

During dinner, Nancy looked expectantly over at her father. Shuffling her feet under the table, she asked, "So Dad, how is the case going?" The three Hardy's heads shot up from their dinner plates, looking from Mr. Drew, to their father, to their mother's and aunt disapproving glances and back at their plates. Alicia looked at her father expectantly, too: hoping one of the dads would break under their daughter's stare.

Nancy's Dad broke first. "Well, I'm not going to lie; we had a hard time actually proving anything to the jury. First off, the Defense claimed all of our evidence is circumstantial. The gun used at the first robbery is the only thing tying the defendant to the crime scenes in either state."

"What kind of evidence would you need to convince the jury and wrap up the case?" Frank asked, intrigue in his voice.

"We would have had an easier time if we could've found where their accomplice stashed the jewels, but by now they've had plenty of time to sell them off or scatter them all over," Hardy cut in.

"What happened to the … defendant?" Joe inquired, trying to sound sophisticated.

"We had twenty four hours to find more evidence that pointed to the defendant. When we didn't find it, he walked. Luckily, it doesn't look like the defendant is worried about leaving the state. So if we can catch him on another charge…" Fenton looked unsure.

"Well, don't you think he would want to leave town now?" Alicia asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Carson Drew asked the littlest Hardy, wondering why the question.

"Well, if he's not leaving town, then he is staying for something," Nancy pointed out.

"Exactly," Alicia said excitedly, "All we'd have to do is figure out what it is they sticking around for, like say, a certain valuable jewel with a traveling exhibit that happens to be on display in a museum about thirty minutes from here?" Everyone looked at her with shocked expressions. "What? It looked interesting. I was going to ask you if we could go see it tomorrow when the exhibit opens anyways." She shrunk under everyone's amazed looks.

"Don't be ashamed," her father started.

"That was amazing reasoning." Mr. Drew said standing up and patting both girls on the head.

Fenton continued, "We'll have to go scout out the museum tonight, make sure nothing happens tonight." The two men took their plates to the kitchen and went into the study to make phone calls.

When they came back out, they were swarmed by the four mini detectives.

"We figured you could use a little back up," Joe said smoothly. "We'd thought we'd offer our services."

"Besides, it was our clue that got you on track. Couldn't we be of some help?" Nancy asked.

Alicia saw that her father was starting to shake his head no. "We could be extra security detail! No one would suspect four kids to be security, and it could be like an undercover op. Besides, the thieves would be totally suspicious of the museum being a trap if they see you snooping around."

"I promise I'll let nothing happen to these three. We can do this. Let us try?" Frank was determined as well. Then he put his fantastic knowledge to work. "You can have all the surveillance teams you would like and have back up close at hand, and we promise that we won't overstep your authority, no matter what decision you make."

The two worried fathers looked at each other; both know that this was as much of a good idea as it was a bad one.

"How about this, you can stake out the museum with us in pairs," offered Carson Drew. "There is another museum that is a more likely target, so this should be relatively safe. Frank, Nancy? You can come with me. And Alicia and Joe can go with their dad."

"There are two rules to this though." Fenton Hardy looked sternly at the four. "No matter what we say, you do it quickly, quietly, and with no questions asked. The next: unless the car is going to plummet off a cliff or into a river, Stay. In. The. Car."

The four nodded solemnly, and when the two men discussed their plan, the Hardy's and Nancy smiled. They were on the case!


	3. Chapter 3: Tricks of the Trade

_**Chapter Three: Tricks of the Trade and Separation**_

Alicia woke up with her wrists tied behind her back and her ankles bound in front of her. Her brothers and Nancy sat on the ground back to back with her. "Ow…" she moaned.

"Frank, she's awake," Both Joe and Nancy said in hushed whispers.

Frank heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you ok, Al?" He asked, worried.

"What happened? How did we get here? I don't remember anything," Alicia murmured. She fidgeted some more and realized they were all tied together as well.

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Nancy asked. "We'll fill in the blanks."

"Well, Mr. Drew brought you and Frank over to our car so they could go check something out. And then it's all really fuzzy."

Frank started into the story. "It was a set up. Somehow they knew our dads would try and set up a trap and bring us too. Someone led them off with a red herring and two other guys snuck up on us. The broke into the car and pulled us out."

"We put up a decent fight-"

"Meaning the guy you and I were fighting was totally getting his trash kicked," input Joe.

"-But in the end, they threw you into the car door and knocked you out cold. They took out a gun and we followed quietly," Nancy finished.

"But now that you're awake," Joe said excited, then whispered, "We can get out of here!"

Joe grabbed for one of Alicia's hands, and Nancy took the other. Her right hand was in Frank's left, and she giggled a little at the thought of holding his hand. Frank blushed, and was glad that the girl sitting next to him couldn't see it.

Alicia was confused. "What are we doing exactly?"

"Frank found a sharp nail on the wall in front of him." Joe supplied. "We are going to try and stand and walk to it."

"On the count of three, lean back and push with your feet," Frank counted, "One. Two. Three!"

The four struggled for a second, then slowly started to rise off the ground. Alicia and Nancy shuffled their feet to keep them underneath them as the boys quickly stood up.

"How are we going to move like this though?" Nancy stumbled and nearly knocked Frank over, bringing the rest of them like dominoes.

"I hadn't thought that far yet. Hmmm…" Frank steadied Nancy and turned just enough to see the look of fear in her eyes. He squeezed her hand, and she turned slightly towards him to give him a small smile.

The small movement gave Alicia an idea. "Hey, Nancy! Can you turn so you are standing side by side with Frank?" As Nancy started to turn, Joe caught on and let go of his brother's hand and shuffled to stand next to Alicia.

When they were situated, Joe continued where Alicia left off. "Alicia and I will act as balance and anchors. Think of it as a two legged race with a really heavy back pack that has feet."

"That made no sense, Joe," Alicia stated. "But that's the idea. Frank, you shuffle or hop one step, then Nancy. Joe and I will follow with you to steady you."

Slowly the four pre teens moved their way across the floor. As they got to the wall, Frank realized something. "This would have been easier if we had just scooted over here and then stood up."

Joe laughed, "And you just thought of this now? Besides, that was lots of fun."

"Joe, will you stop squirming? I'm trying to cut the rope." Frank was carefully sawing the rope holding them together on the nail.

Nancy smiled and turned to Alicia. "Are they always like this?"

Alicia shook her head. "No, usually I make it worse. But I still feel really dizzy. Frank, how are you coming on that rope? I think I need to sit." Joe looked very worried at his sister. Alicia noticed and smiled a small smile. "I'm ok; I think I may have a minor concussion. It's nothing really. I'm not supposed to fall asleep, by the way. You should know that, just in case I try."

The rope broke and Alicia slid to the ground. Frank quickly turned around and stated sawing off his wrist constraints. As soon as he got through them he untied Joe's wrists and then moved to Nancy's.

Joe dropped to his ankles and untied them quickly, then aided his sister. He hugged her, then laid her down on his lap. "Rest for now, Alicia. We'll find a way out, and then we'll worry about how to move you."

Frank and Nancy took a look around the large storage facility they were being held in. It took them around an hour to search the entire room. By that point Alicia gained her focus and was sitting up.

"We are locked in pretty tight. There is one vent we can reach, but only one of us is going to fit through there." Frank looked at Alicia, who was curled up in Joe's arms. She looked up at him, and nodded.

"Let's go."

As the two younger Hardy kids joined their brother and best friend in front of the vent, the door at the front of the unit opened. The young detectives started to scatter when the click of a gun stopped them.

"Don't move. You don't want to know what will happen if you do." The fat man holding the gun smiled evilly. Four other gunmen were on either side. There were two for each of them then. Their tall, handsome boss scanned the four of them. He looked at Nancy, Frank and Joe.

"You must be Fenton's kids. Who's this extra?" he asked, pointing at Alicia looking at the gun man. Alicia laughed, which drew his attention back to her.

"You've got this all wrong. I am Fenton's daughter. She," she indicated Nancy, "Is no one of consequence. Now, to tell you the truth, I'm tired of playing hostage. I want to talk business. I'll keep quiet, even throw the police off track, if you cut me in on a small percentage of the goods. Otherwise, when the police come in, and I do mean when, I squeal like a mouse. What do you say?" The Hardy boys and Nancy looked bewildered at Alicia, would she really sell out?

The fat gun man snarled and pointed his gun at Alicia, but his boss stopped him and laughed. "You are an incredible child, but I don't think you understand. I wasn't born yesterday, and you are in no position to negotiate." He motioned to his men with three fingers, and three of the men detached themselves from the group and walked up to him. "Take her and the blond one to the two separate rooms we had arranged for them." He looked at the last one. "You know what to do with the other boy." They all swung their guns over their shoulders and moved towards the group. Frank and Joe stepped out in front of the girls.

"You will not touch my sister," Joe glared at the two guys headed for them, ready for a fight. Alicia put her hands on his shoulder.

"Joe, don't. I don't want to see you get hurt." She waited for him to put his fists down. Joe turned around and hugged her tight. –He's crying- she thought. She had never seen him cry before.

Two seconds later, Joe and Alicia were torn apart from each other. Alicia was carried out, kicking the entire way. She gave the first guy a bloody nose before someone took a rag and pressed it to her face. Joe saw her fall limp as his guard pressed a gun to his back. He stumbled forward, and followed one of the other gunmen, heading in the other direction, away from Alicia. He saw two men tying Frank and Nancy up. Nancy was tied to one of the poles in the middle of the floor, and Frank was being blindfolded and walked towards the back of the storage unit.

Joe's hope of escaping dropped.


	4. Chapter 4: Lights, Cameras

_A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. I'll take criticism too. This is my first, and I would like to get better._

_**Chapter 4: Lights, Cameras…**_

Nancy watched as the four of them were split apart. Alicia was unconscious again and carried off to the right, Joe was maneuvered to the door and up the fire escape she could see on the building opposite her storage unit. She turned to the back to see Frank kneeling in the very back of the storage unit. She could barely make out the light of a camera. -Most likely I'm in the shot too- she thought. "What are you doing?" She asked the boss, who had stayed behind with the last four gunmen.

"Nothing you need to worry about, if you are not one of consequence." He turned, thinking. "I think I'll start with Daddy's little girl, then I will come back here." He left Nancy and Frank. And the guards closed the door. It was once again dark and silent in the storage unit.

Alicia woke up tied to a chair in the center of a dark room with three flickering screens. As she picked her head up, the screens turned on, one by one. The first was a security camera focused on the back of a blond boy standing in a small room, hands tied behind his back. Two guys on either side held his arms and another stood in front of him, waiting for orders. "Joe," She whispered. The next was of a blindfolded, dark haired figure, two gunmen behind him, and a frightened girl looking on. "And that's Frank and Nancy." She watched silently for the third screen to flicker on. It stayed blank.

"We aren't going to use that screen yet, not unless we have to." The boss had stepped quietly into the room. Alicia jumped, startled. He stepped around and knelt in front of her chair. "All we want is your cooperation. Nothing has to happen if you just do everything exactly as I say." He took out a cell phone: the same one she and Joe had on the stake out. "Now, I don't know if you'll remember his name, but there is someone I would like you to meet. Jay- Jay? Would you like to come in?"

The floor boards creaked as another man entered the room from the door behind her. She felt a sticky breath on her neck as rough hands grabbed her shoulders. "Don't worry, sweetie, Daddy is going to save you the right way this time. Ricks doesn't play well with others."

Alicia shivered at the memory from when she was 7. Ricks must be the head of this operation: the guy kneeling in front of me, holding the cards.

"You see, a few years back, your father was working on a case that just seemed like a minor theft. As he was working on it, he discovered a clue that could have been traced… elsewhere," Ricks said, choosing his words carefully. "I still need that file that I was so close to getting three years ago." He held up the cell phone. "I'm going to call Daddy, and you like a good little girl, are going to explain exactly what is going on. Tell him that tracing the call is not going to do any good, because the other three are not with you. Explain exactly what you see on the screens, and tell him James Johnson is standing behind you. He wants the file. If you go off script, or mention my name, or try to pull any funny business…" Ricks pulled a remote out of his pocket, and turned on the sound. She could hear the man in front of Joe taunting him. He stopped when he heard the static of the three way radio. "Let's give Daddy's little girl a demonstration with our fair prince, shall we?"

The man looked at the camera and smiled. "Wait! Don't, please! I didn't do anything!" Alicia flinched as the man strode back to Joe. He drew back his arm and threw a punch straight to Joe's jaw line; the next went to his stomach. Alicia watched as Joe took every blow without crying out. In the other room, Nancy sunk to the floor and Frank flinched with each gasp.

"Stop it! Please! I won't do anything! I promise! Let him go! Please!" Alicia was in tears, she couldn't stand to see her brother hurt, especially because of her. Joe was on the floor, being kicked continually. There was a trickle of blood coming from the side of his mouth. She closed her eyes and turned away.

"That's enough," the voice over the loud speaker said. Frank heard a low moan and shaky breaths from over it too. He couldn't just stay there and do nothing. His brother and sister needed him.

Nancy let out a long breath she had been holding. She had to do something. She saw Frank looking around, trying to see through his blindfold. She could take out the two gun men from behind, but the camera was still focused on them. If someone saw, that would be the end of the attempt. That wouldn't bode well for Alicia or Joe, she thought.

Joe lay curled up in a ball on the rough carpet. "Don't, Alicia," he barely breathed. He laid his head on the floor and closed his eyes.

Alicia shook violently as she tried to stop her tears. "Please," She said shakily, "Don't. I'll call, I won't vary. I'll tell him exactly what I see, exactly what is going on, exactly what you need." She paused and looked at him. She needed to know that Frank and Nancy could still hear her, too. But she didn't know how she could ask without getting Joe into more trouble.

He had a curious look on his face, "Exactly what who needs?" he asked with clear diction. The man in the first screen looked ready to strike again.

"Exactly what James needs! Not you! I won't tell him your name, won't even mention that there is anyone or anything else! Just the file and Jim!"

"And the goon squad," a horse whisper came from the first screen, and a scoff came from the second.

"Quiet! All of you: Unless you want more trouble for Alicia and Joe here." Ricks dialed the phone and held it to her ear. "No tricks," He reminded her, looking at her eldest brother. She nodded and swallowed back the last of her real tears, and traded them for a fake fear. -No time to actually be afraid- she thought.


	5. Chapter 5: Phone Call for Fenton

_**Chapter 5: Phone Call for Fenton Hardy**_

"Hello?"

"Daddy?"

"Alicia! Darling, are you ok? If you can't talk freely, say Daddy."

"Daddy."

"Can you tell me if the boys and Nancy are with you?"

"No. They aren't with me. Don't bother tracing this call. If you try to find me, something will happen to the others. I'm sitting in a room with three large screens that show them. Jake is in a small office with- with three men, and is already in pretty b-bad shape because of m-me." *pause* "Fred is blindfolded in a storage unit with gunmen standing behind him. There is also a girl behind them, but she is alright. They won't hurt her unless she gets involved. The third screen right now is blank, but if someone doesn't cooperate, something will show up."

"Are you ok? Please, just tell me that."

"J-Jim Johnson still wants the file he came for 3 years ago, and the evidence that goes with it."

"Honey, if you can find a way to communicate with the boys, Say, I'm sorry, Daddy. I can't tell you more."

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I can't tell you more."

"Is there someone else there besides Jim calling the shots? Say Daddy.

"Daddy… Please…"

"Be brave Al, now do you think you can get out? Honestly."

"If we were together, Dad, I would tell you, yes. *Pause* No, I don't know where here is."

*click* "Midnight: the Industrial Park. Come Alone."

"I love you, Daddy."

*Shhhhh**Click*

"Damn it!" Fenton Hardy slammed the phone onto the table. Tears ran down his face as he turned and looked out the window. The whole police station was silent. Carson Drew sat staring at his hands, not able to say anything. He knew that having his daughter call dealt him a low blow.

"Sir, we got a trace on the call. Should we scout it out?"

Fenton stared out the window, trying to think. What exactly was he meant to get out of that? "It sounded like she was reading a script, but she got away with telling me so much about their situation." Fenton saw Carson still looking down trodden. "They don't seem to think Nancy is involved. As long as she isn't, she's safe." He shook his head clear, the fear in his own daughter's voice echoing in his mind. "Where did the call come from?" he asked the officer, who was still standing by desk.

"An industrial park next to the small airport hangar," he supplied, "On the north side of Bayport."

Fenton and Carson looked at the clock: 11:30. They had half an hour before the drop off. "Carson," He said strictly, now meaning business, "Since you are a civilian, I cannot allow you to come with us. But you heard Alicia. She said there was another target." He shivered slightly as the reality hit him. "I bet they, whoever they are, bugged the house. They may have… done something else. Will you go and get Laura and Trudy to a safe house and wait for us to get there."

Carson considered protesting, but then saw the look on Hardy's face. "Alright, Fenton. I'll go." As he stood to leave, Fenton put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Carson gave a weak smile and returned the gesture, then turned and left the station with a police escort.

Fenton looked at the rest of his crew. "We are splitting up into three squads." He walked over to the digital map one of the officers brought up on the white board. "Let's see," he said, ticking off Alicia's clues one by one. "Where would the security office be for the airport hangar?" He circled the building in red, and saw right next door was a garage. He circled that in black. "Now where is Joe?" he thought out loud.

"The building across the street from that was converted into an office building about 6 months ago," offered the man operating the projector.

Hardy circled the last building in blue. He dealt out the assignments. "When you get to the back of the hangar, wait for my signal before moving in. There is a chance the kids have a plan of their own." A very good chance, indeed- he thought, knowing they were his and Carson's kids. He turned back to his desk. He looked through the files until he found the Johnson file. An officer eyed the file suspiciously, and he replied, "Just in case. You know I can't negotiate police evidence."

I hope this works- he thought.

Alicia let out a long breath as Ricks clicked her phone closed. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He stood and walked to the door. Alicia could barely make out the words "Wait," and "Finish." She did not like the tone he used with the final word, but before she could think about it, Ricks was back. "Jay-Jay, why don't you go to the drop off point? Fenton is probably anxious to see his kids again. I'm sure he won't wait until midnight." He snickered to himself as he looked at Alicia. "He's probably also sending a few squads in to rescue them from behind. Why don't you and the 'goon squad' guard the back gates?" he mentioned to the guys in the two screens. They nodded, muttered a "Sure thing, boss," or "right away, sir," and moved, leaving Nancy, Frank, and Joe completely alone. Alicia's hope returned. She realized how ecstatic she must have looked and quickly morphed to fear. To add an effect, she flinched when Ricks walked back over to her and placed a light hand on her shoulder. "Just so you don't get any more ideas," he said callously. He clicked a button on the remote, and the third screen turned on.

Joe and Frank's eyes grew wide as they recognized the voices on the other end.

"Don't worry, Laura. They are Fenton's kids: tough as nails. They'll get out of this and probably be begging for more trouble."

"You're probably right. Still, it's a mother's prerogative."

The picture became clear, and Alicia saw her mom pacing in front of the kitchen sink, and Aunt Trudy watching her from the table. Her heart sank again. There was nothing she could do until she knew they were safe.

Ricks smiled triumphantly. "Now, try and not get into too much trouble. I am just going to inform the pilot we'll be leaving at midnight, and I'll be right back." He left the room.

As soon as the door swung shut, Alicia pulled her wrists the rest of the way out of the ropes. "I'm free."

"How did you do that so fast?" Joe asked, impressed. It was Alicia's turn to smile triumphantly.

"Easy! 'Jay-Jay' had a knife in his pocket. I swiped it and sliced the inside of the rope and held it together until they left." She stopped after untying her ankles and looked at all three screens. "I just hope dad realized the third screen might be Mom and Trudy. I had a hunch, but I couldn't tell him."

Frank was about to say something when a door swung open somewhere. Everyone stiffened, until they realized it wasn't their door.

"Laura, Trudy. We have to get out of here. Now."

Nancy gasped. "Dad! He's alright!"

Alicia ran out the doors. "Joe," she called as she was running out, "Give Frank and Nancy directions on how to get to you."

Alicia had an easy time sneaking into the garage. Every other guard was preoccupied, and the pilot was in a heated discussion with Ricks.

"That wasn't part of the plan!" she overheard. "I was only going to provide the plane! I have somewhere to be-"

"Well, looks like you are going to have a change of plans then, isn't it?" Alicia looked around the corner to catch the pilots scared expression, then unlocked the door and slid through the small space she had propped open. She could see that Frank had navigated back to nancy, who had removed his blindfold and was working on untying his hands. Alicia ran over to help.

"How are you doing, Joe?" She asked, hands working on Nancy's wrists.

"If I can stand, I think the door is unlocked," he said, a painful undertone in his voice. She could hear him struggling to get to his feet.

"Joe, stay put. We are on our way," Frank called as Nancy finished with his ropes and ran towards the door. Nancy and Alicia followed. When they got to the door, Alicia stopped Frank and double checked on the pilot and Ricks. Ricks was headed back to the security building. "We have to move fast," she whispered. "He's headed back to check on me."

Frank and Nancy moved up the fire escape and through the second story window. Alicia slowly followed, making sure no one had seen them, and trying to think how they were going to get to her father.

When they got to the office, Frank helped Joe stand. "Do you think you can move?" he asked.

Joe replied, "It's only some minor bruises. I'm fine."

"Let's get out of here then, he can probably hear us still," Nancy pointed out. As the gang moved out to discuss their plan, they heard strong cursing over the loud speaker. Quickly, Nancy ran to the window. "I think we are in trouble," she said, backing away from the window.

No one had to ask why, as they all heard the sound of footsteps on the fire escape rushing towards them.

_A/N: What do you think? Any guesses to what may or may not happen? Thanks to all of you, you are my first readers! _


	6. Chapter 6: Mystery!

_A/N: Sorry it's been longer than it usually takes me to post. I finally got back to school and the homework load is as heavy as I remember it. _

_Hope you enjoy! _

**Chapter 6: Mystery!**

"Quick! In here!" Frank called from down the hall, still supporting Joe. The girls through the door Frank was holding open, and he followed them inside, closing the door behind them. They found themselves in another one of the small offices. There was a desk in one corner, and a bookshelf along the back wall.

Alicia looked up. "There is a vent up there. We can still get out!" She started to climb the bookshelf to reach the vent.

"Just like the old days, Alicia?" Joe quipped. Alicia ignored him and continued up. The footsteps got closer. They heard them stop just outside the room they were just in.

"They're gone." The tone in the man's voice was almost relief. Alicia stopped climbing. "No sign of them anywhere. Is there anywhere else you want us to check?"

A cracked voice came over the man's walkie-talkie. "No, I'm sure they can manage on their own. Go ahead and meet the others. We'll round up as many of these guys as we can, one of them is sure to talk."

Frank and Joe peered out the door. An officer was standing just outside, his back turned to them. As they closed the door again, Frank quietly noted, "It could be a trap."

"Which is why he wouldn't worry about trying to find us: because we'll mistrust everything we see." Nancy shrugged her shoulders. "It's possible."

"Either way, we are going to sneak out of here and retrace our steps to the front of the park." Alicia said from her perch. "So, are we going through the door, or the vent?"

"Well, the door, obviously. Not everyone can be an expert bookshelf climber," retorted Joe again. He smiled, "I promise, that was the last one. Let's go." He stood on his own and peeked out the door again. The officer was still standing there. "Or the vents. That's a good idea too."

Alicia pulled herself up into the vent first, and then leaned over to see Frank holding the shelf steady while Nancy and Joe helped each other up. As Joe came through the vents and turned to motion for Frank to follow, a shadow appeared under the door.

"Hurry, Frank!" Alicia whispered loudly. "There is someone there!"

Frank scurried up the shelf, but as he reached the top, it started to tip. Nancy and Joe grabbed onto Frank as the shelf toppled to the ground. The crash startled the shadow and the door swung open, just as Alicia replaced the vent cover. They sat perfectly still, no one even dared to breathe. The door swung open, and, after a few moments, closed slowly. No one let out a sigh of relief, until Alicia and Joe, from their opposite sides of the vent, gave an 'All clear.' They quietly slid through the dusty air ducts until they found one that opened to the outside. After struggling with it, Frank and Joe tore off the flimsy metal.

"You'd think that would have been harder," Frank thought out loud, suspicious.

Again, Alicia climbed down first. The bricks slid beneath her blue converse, and she clung to the lip of the wall. It wasn't until her feet brushed the second story window sill below her that she moved her hands to the bricks. Frank slid down next to her to brace her to the next sill. As he was standing there, he looked in through the dirty pane. "Um, do you know what was in the Johnson file?"

Alicia shrugged, "I think it was a minor drug bust, or something like that. Why?" Alicia looked though the window and saw what made Frank ask.

"I think it's a lot bigger than just some minor drug bust." He called quietly to the others, "We're going to check out this room, it may hold a clue to what is so important in the Johnson file."

"Count us in!" Nancy and Joe said excitedly. Alicia and Frank forced the window open, and Alicia slid inside to make room for the other two on the ledge. She started looking around the room, which was filled with boxes, labeled with addresses all over the world. She stooped over one of the smaller ones and looked at the monogram: A gold W entwined with an L.

"Frank? Is this the monogram for Wayne and Lawrence industries?"

One by one the others had filed through the window and started looking around. Frank walked over to his sister and nodded. "Dad was investigating the company during the Johnson case, but everything checked out. Nothing, besides the monogram found on a piece of stationary, tied them to the crime scene."

"And you could get stationary anywhere, from anyone." Alicia sighed. "But this isn't stationary, and it is the second time-"

"Guys, quickly! Come here!" Frank and Alicia ran towards Nancy, who was huddled over an open box on the far side of the room. Joe was staring bewildered at the contents. Alicia gasped as the sparkle of precious gems caught her eye.

"These are the Gems that were on display in Chicago, the ones our Dad's were looking for! I'm sure of it!" Nancy exclaimed excitedly.

"But what are they doing here?" Alicia asked.

Joe looked at the label on the box. "The Wayne Lawrence Industries: Just like all of the boxes."

"Now I really want to know what is in that file," Frank said wistfully. "It could help wrap this up."

Alicia smiled and took a pin out of her hair. "Thank you, Spy magazine!" The pin had a camera the size of Alicia's pinky nail at the end, and it was nearly invisible. "The quality is awful, but I bet its good enough to prove that there was something here." She snapped a photo of the gems and the monogram and slipped the camera back into her hair. "Let's hope it wasn't damaged when I hit my head."

As they climbed out the window for a second time, Alicia saw flashing lights in the distance. "There's Dad." She said to herself. Pausing for a minute, she scouted to see where everyone was. Ricks was yelling angrily into his walkie-talkie again and running towards the plane. The guards were still at the back gate, and Jim was still waiting at the front gate, looking at the car that was a turn away. She looked down and saw Frank jump the last two feet to the ground below her and climbed down to join the gang.

Frank reached up to catch Nancy as she jumped. She stumbled when her feet connected with the ground: right into his arms. They stood there for a moment, their faces only inches apart. A loud cough from Joe as he hit the ground next to them broke the trance. Nancy pulled away quickly and turned to hide her blush. -This is crazy- she thought. -Never have I met someone who could make me blush this much.-

Frank glared at Joe for a long silent moment. Alicia jumped down next to them and slugged them both on the shoulder. "Focus, Frank. And please make that the last time I ever hear that. Joe I can understand, but you?" she smiled glancing over at Nancy, who had barely gotten her focus back.

"You're right. Let's go. I saw a clear path directly to the front gate. This way." Frank grabbed Nancy's hand and pulled her into a run. Joe and Alicia followed close behind.

They dodged around the garage and runway and slowed only when they reached the place where Fenton Hardy had parked his squad car.

"Where are my kids?" the gang overheard him ask. "I won't give you the file until I know they are safe."

Alicia went to call out to him, but Frank stopped her. He whispered to Nancy and motioned for Joe to follow him around the back.

"Frank wants us to create some distraction once they are in place. You can call out to him then." Nancy whispered to Alicia.

"I'm afraid I'll need the file first," Jim replied. "You see, I don't have your kids."

"Then take me to them. I won't give you what you want until I know, for a fact, that they are not hurt."

Joe and Frank appeared behind Jim. Fenton eyes lit up, and Frank put a finger to his lips. He immediately masked his joy. Joe waved to Nancy. Nancy nodded to Alicia.

"Dad!" Alicia called loudly. "Dad, I'm right here! I'm ok!" She ran to him and he caught her in a big hug.

"I'm so glad you are alright. Where are the others?" he asked, looking over her shoulder for Nancy.

Alicia turned around, Nancy was supposed to follow. There was a deserted space where Nancy stood moments before. Frank's heart dropped as he realized what was going on.

Nancy was gone.


	7. Chapter 7: Fight and Flight

_**A/N:** Interesting Fact: I was studying for my Criminal Justice 1010 class before writing this._

_**Chapter 7: Fight or Flight**_

Nancy struggled into a seated position as the plane's engines warmed up. She was bound and gagged in the middle of a small commercial plane. 'Why me?' she thought to herself. She had been standing right next to Alicia at the time, who had convinced Ricks that she was no one pertaining to the case.

Reading her mind, Ricks came on board and tapped the door between the cabin and the pilot. "So, Ms. Drew is it?" He smiled, "I knew there was something tying you to this case. You are so much more useful than Fenton's brat. I know just what buttons to push with Carson." He sat down a few rows in front of her and buckled his seatbelt. "You may want to buckle," he joked, "We're going for a bumpy ride."

Nancy smiled behind her gag as she wiggled her hands back and forth. 'You have no idea.'  
^^^

"Nancy!" Alicia called. "Where are you?" Alicia looked around, flustered. "She was right here not more than a minute ago." Frank and Joe had succeeded in tackling Jim, at Alicia's distraction, and securing his knife and gun, then the four Hardys had searched the immediate area for Nancy. Alicia was devastated: they had been so close to making it out, what if they did something horrible to Nancy? What would this do to poor Mr. Drew? Somehow, she couldn't get the thought out of her head that this was all her fault.

Fenton walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sure she is ok. We will find her."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, he heard Airplane engines warming up. Joe ran to their father and sister, breathless.

"The boxes-" Joe said, still panting. "They were loaded *gasp* onto a plane *huff* Saw Ricks board. I think we saw Nancy!" He gasped, "Frank went after her."

This news sent Alicia into a sprint towards the runway, her father on her heels, and Joe not too far behind. She saw the cabin doors were still wide open, and Frank about 20 yards in front of her.

Frank reached his target at the same time another figure reached the door. They collided into each other. Frank stood up quickly into a fighting stance before he realized who it was. "Nancy!"

"Let's go, quick! Before someone else discovers what I've done." Nancy stood up and started off again. Frank noticed that Nancy was running a bit slower than on the rest of their adventure, and looked like she was about to break. He grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him, running for the both of them.

When the others saw, Fenton ran back to his car and got it started. He drove it halfway to them, and they all piled into the car, Joe climbing into the front seat. Fenton drove back to the deserted street and headed towards the safe house. He radioed to the other squads, who were doing a thorough sweep of the industrial park.

"Someone want to tell me what just happened?" Alicia asked. Nancy smiled as she unfolded her tale.

"It appears Mr. Ricks isn't as great as tying knots as his goons. He was hoping to use me as leverage until he could safely get out of the country. I, unfortunately for him, ended up knocking him unconscious, and the pilot came out to see why the door was still open, and ended up the only reason he was doing this was because they have his wife and kids. So I made sure it looked like he was out cold too. No one else tried to stop me." Her smile widened as she pulled something- no, some things- out of her pocket. "I also picked these up, proof that they were behind the jewel robberies." A large ruby and a sapphire on a chain were one of the many sparkling things she handed up to Joe.

"Is this the kind of evidence you need to put these guys away?" He held them up to his dad, who smiled. "That's exactly what we were looking for. You shouldn't have grabbed them," he tried to say sternly, but failed, so he finished, "I'm glad you did."

After a while they reached the safe house and were circled around the kitchen table. Carson held on to his daughter protectively, while Laura fussed over Joe's wounds. When the excitement around the table had quieted, Alicia decided to be daring.

"So, now what? If the police find Ricks and Jim, they can be arrested, right? There is enough evidence now with our statements? And what about the pilot: isn't that technically a crime performed under duress? What about _mens rea _in that case?"

"Ok, that was a lot of words I did not expect from the youngest of the Hardy's." Carson laughed, "Are you planning on going into Law Enforcement or Law with those thoughts?" he asked, hoping to change the subject for Laura and their aunt's sake.

"Nah, she just reads a lot," Joe slugged her in the shoulder playfully. Laura glared at her when she pulled back her arm to hit him back. She resorted to sticking out her tongue.

"I haven't decided: probably law enforcement. Though, with my luck, I'll probably end up going into Music Education, just watch." Everyone laughed except for Frank and Nancy.

"You know," Frank started, "I'm kind of curious about that myself."

Nancy nodded. "Yeah, me too. It could be hard to prove he was forced to steal the plane, especially if we can't find his family, right?"

_I didn't realize it then, but that conversation is what started us all really started considering our mystery solving as a life choice, and more than just a game. The police had found Jim, Ricks, and the pilot pretty much where we left them. Most of the guards had scattered, but a few, including the mean looking one, (we found out his name was Will), were taken into custody as well. Ten years down the road, who knew that Nancy and the Hardy boys would be… Well, I guess I should work up to that story. A lot has happened in these ten years. _

"Nancy! Wait!"

Frank was running to her from across the JFK airport parking lot. The Hardys had just said their goodbyes to the Drews, with promises to keep in touch for the next three months. Nancy had to come back and testify with the three Hardys in December, so Laura invited Carson, Hannah, and Nancy to spend the holidays with them.

"Miss me already?" she smiled. "I'll be back, it's only three months."

"I know, it's just… well, you forgot this." He handed her a package, turning red. "Don't open it until you get on the plane, ok?" He hugged her quickly one last time before running back to his family. "See you, Drew!" he called over his shoulder, waving.

"Can't wait, Hardy!" she called back. – I can't wait.  
^^^

On the plane, Nancy opened the box Frank had handed to her. In it was a note and baseball card. The note read, "This is Joe's. Keep it safe. Bring it back with you in December. –Alicia and Frank."

Another mystery and revenge for the guitar, she smiled. This is going to be great.

_A/N: Sorry guys, this case wraps up really fast. After all, I meant it just as an introduction. Most of my other mysteries take place when they are older teens or adults, so they can get away with more and therefore, much longer and much more intense. You'll just have to stick with me and find out. If you like this in the slightest bit, review and tell me so. I get encouraged to write more when I get reviews and feed back. Thank you all for reading!_


End file.
